Ryuichi Sakamoto's 'Journey to the Piano' Explores Musical Legacy

Ryuichi Sakamoto, the renowned Japanese composer and pianist, shares his intimate journey with the piano in his posthumously released book, "Journey to the Piano." Written in 2021, the book delves into his personal musical life and the instrument's rich history through conversations with musicologists.

Sakamoto, who began playing the piano at age three, recounts his lifelong relationship with the instrument. The book traces the piano's origins back to Bartolomeo Cristofori's invention around 1700 in Florence, Italy. It highlights how Cristofori's creation, initially called 'gravicembalo col piano e forte,' allowed for dynamic control of sound, unlike its predecessors, the harpsichord and clavichord.

The narrative extends beyond the piano's 300-year history, reaching back to ancient hydraulic organs from the 3rd century BCE. The innovation of assigning a single note to each key, producing consistent pitches regardless of the player, marked a significant departure from earlier instruments. The book also touches upon the piano's industrialization in the mid-19th century with the rise of manufacturers like Steinway and its crucial role in the creation of classical music masterpieces during the Classical and Romantic eras.

"Journey to the Piano" offers readers a dual experience, providing both literary and auditory enjoyment. A QR code links to a curated playlist of 19 classical compositions by masters such as Bach, Chopin, Brahms, Debussy, and Ravel, selected by Sakamoto. This allows readers to immerse themselves in the music while exploring the composer's reflections on its history and his personal connection to the instrument.